Tacoma Rose "Roots" Chapter 3

by Bruce Lind

Did you know that in 1935 the Rev. S. S, Sulliger of Tacoma was President of the American Rose Society?  I learned this fact from the March, 1935 issue of “Success with Roses: The Magazine for Rose Lovers Everywhere.”  This magazine was a publication of the Conard-Pyle Company. 

In 1939 (perhaps not coincidentally) Tacoma was visited by ARS President, Dr. T. Allen Kirk of Roanoke, VA, and  ARS Secretary, Marion Hatten of Harrisburg, PA.  They were among the judges for the 1939 Tacoma Rose Society Show held at Wells Hall, North 3rd and K streets.  The June 20, 1939 issue of the Tacoma News Tribune reported on the show and the visit by these “two nationally-known rose experts.” 

After completion of judging Kirk and Hatten were taken on a tour of the city and visited several of the finest local rose gardens.  Dr. Kirk indicated he was deeply impressed with the number of roses seen in almost every yard in the entire Puget Sound region. “England is the only other place he has visited," he stated, "where roses can be seen in virtually every yard as they are in this district.” 

Top rose in the 1939 rose was a McGredy’s Yellow exhibited by Dr. Frank R. Maddison.  In addition to exhibits by individuals, two fire stations exhibited roses (Number 3 located at N. 13th and J streets and Number 8 located at S. 43rd and L) and won ribbons.  In addition, the Metropolitan Park District had two special exhibits; one a table of roses and the other a colorful variety of potted shrubs and flowers “which completely fills the stage.”

A February 26, 1939 Tacoma Ledger article shows that the ARS dignitaries may have been set up.  The Tacoma Rose Society had a special program encouraging Tacoma residents to make plantings of yellow roses to honor the State of Washington’s Golden Jubilee Celebration.  TRS offered access to a list of “new roses in beautiful shades of yellow” from the Society secretary Mrs. Stacy Myers. 

The article says there is plenty of time to plant roses which will provide fine blooms in the summer of 1939.  Society members also declared that Tacoma’s climate is the best in the world for the growing of roses.  It seems that the ARS visitors agreed with that assessment. 

Planting directions said “A hole should be dug large enough to spread out the roots and deep enough to set the rose about one inch above the bud.  The  hole should be filled with light soil which should be packed firmly about the spread-out roots.  Broken root ends should be carefully pruned.  No fertilizer should be used.  Pruning of existing roses should be done in the last two weeks of March, the heavier the pruning the larger will be the buds, but for the average garden the bushes should be pruned back to 6 to 9 inches about the ground to produce a greater number of blooms.”   This planting advice sounds very much like that we give today, but the pruning advice is definitely more severe than we usually suggest today. 

The  article goes on to say that “fertilizing should not begin before April 15 when about a quart of fresh cow manure should be put in a circle about each bush, away from the stem, with a handful of super phosphate and a tablespoon full of sulfate of potash spread on the manure.  This should be washed into the soil with a hose, not using the nozzle.”  This is still good advice today, but we usually skip the cow and just put the alfalfa pellets directly on the ground.

 Some of those special yellow roses can still be purchased today, including McGredy’s Yellow, McGredy’s Sunset, Countess Vandall, and Paul’s Lemon Pillar.  In their day each of these was an excellent rose in the garden and on the show bench.

Chapter 1 of Tacoma Rose "Roots"

Chapter 2 of Tacoma Rose "Roots"